Brachyscome plant named ‘Bonbra0749’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Brachyscome  plant named ‘Bonbra0749’, characterized by its semi-upright plant habit; freely branching habit, bushy plant form and moderately vigorous growth habit; numerous inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane; large light violet-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Brachyscome×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONBRA0749’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Brachyscome plant, botanically known as Brachyscome×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonbra0749’.

The new Brachyscome plant is a product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new vigorous and bushy Brachyscome plants with unique and attractive ray floret color.

The new Brachyscome plant originated from a cross-pollination on Jul. 13, 2006 in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, of a proprietary selection of Brachyscome×hybrida identified as code number 00-178, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Brachyscome×hybrida identified as code number 00-179, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Brachyscome plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia on Feb. 13, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Brachyscome plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since Feb. 13, 2007 has shown that the unique features of this new Brachyscome plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Brachyscome have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bonbra0749’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonbra0749’ as a new and distinct Brachyscome plant:

-   -   1. Semi-upright plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit, bushy plant form and moderately         vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Numerous inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane.     -   4. Large light violet-colored ray florets.     -   5. Good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

Plants of the new Brachyscome differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Brachyscome have larger leaves than plants         of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Brachyscome have larger inflorescences than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Brachyscome have shorter peduncles than         plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Brachyscome differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Brachyscome are more vigorous and bushier         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Brachyscome are more freely flowering than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Brachyscome have darker violet-colored ray         florets than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Brachyscome can also be compared to plants of the Brachyscome angustifolia ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,889. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Brachyscome differed primarily from plants of ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Brachyscome were smaller than plants of         ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’.     -   2. Plants of the new Brachyscome had larger leaves than plants         of ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’.     -   3. Plants of the new Brachyscome had larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’.     -   4. Plants of the new Brachyscome and ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’         differed slightly in ray floret color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Brachyscome plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Brachyscome plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonbra0749’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Bonbra0749’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in 15-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under commercial practices. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 28° C. and night temperatures averaged 20° C. Plants were five and four months old when the photographs and description, respectively, were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Brachyscome×hybrida ‘Bonbra0749’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Brachyscome×hybrida identified as code number 00-178, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Brachyscome×hybrida identified as code number 00-179, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven days at             temperatures of 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About ten days at             temperatures of 15° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures of 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures of 15° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Semi-upright plant habit;             freely branching habit, bushy plant form, pinching enhances             lateral branch development; moderately vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 10.5 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 27 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Strength: Moderately strong.             Aspect: Semi-upright. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Close to 138B with close to 177B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 4 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.9 cm.         -   Shape.—Deeply divided.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Deeply lobed.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 137B; venation, close to 137D. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B; venation,             close to 138C.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Width: About 1.1 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 137B. Color, lower surface: Close to 138B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance and habit.—Single composite inflorescence form             with ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a             capitulum; inflorescences borne above the foliar plane;             uniform and freely flowering habit with about 13 open             inflorescences per plant at a time; inflorescences face             upright to semi-upright.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering season.—Plants flower from spring through autumn             in Japan; flowering continuous during this period; early             flowering habit, plants begin flowering about 50 days after             planting.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two to             three weeks on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 8.1 mm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to N81B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 2.4 cm. Height: About             7.4 mm. Diameter of disc: About 6.3 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity/arrangement: About 18 in a single             whorl. Length: About 9.8 mm. Width: About 2.1 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             When opening, upper surface: Close to N82B. When opening,             lower surface: Close to 85B. Fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 85A. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 85D.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity/arrangement: About 36 massed at             center of receptacle. Shape: Tubular, elongated; five-lobed.             Apex: Acute. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Towards the base, close to             145C; towards the apex, close to 6A and 7A.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: About 13 in a             single whorl; bracts imbricate. Length: About 2.9 mm. Width:             About 0.9 mm. Shape: Roughly ovate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             137C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 0.6 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Stamen length: About 1 mm. Anther length: Less than             1 mm. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to             165B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 7A.             Gynoecium: Present on ray and disc florets. Pistil length:             About 3.6 mm. Style color: Close to 4D. Stigma shape:             Bi-lobed. Stigma color: Close to 6A. Ovary color: Close to             145B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Brachyscome. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Brachyscome have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Brachyscome plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Brachyscome have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Brachyscome plant named ‘Bonbra0749’ as illustrated and described. 